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|"Keeping in Touch" Has a Whole New Meaning

Ever wondered what it'd be like to actually feel things through your screen?

Well, some clever folks at University College London have been working on exactly that. They've come up with a fingertip device that mimics real-world touch sensations.

So, what's this thing all about?

It's basically a small gadget that fits on your fingertip. But here's the cool part - it stimulates all four types of touch receptors in your skin. That means it can recreate a wide range of touch sensations, making virtual interactions feel a lot more real.

What can we do with it?

1. Medical Uses: Doctors could use it to diagnose loss of touch more accurately. No more relying on those old-school brush tests.

2. Robotic Surgery: Surgeons could potentially "feel" what they're doing during robotic surgeries.

3. Virtual Reality: Imagine actually feeling objects in VR games or simulations. That virtual rock climbing just got a lot more interesting.

4. Long-Distance Relationships: Feel your partner's touch from miles away. Just don't get too excited – it's still just your finger, after all.

What's next?

The team's already got the green light for clinical trials, so they're not just sitting on their hands (pun intended). They're looking to test it out in real medical scenarios and see how it performs.

It's exciting stuff, really. We're not quite at the "beam me up, Scotty" level of tech yet, but being able to transmit touch over distances? That's a pretty big step. Who knows, maybe in a few years, we'll all be poking at our screens and actually feeling what's on the other side.

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Big thanks to 1440 Media for all the support in September!

They've been awesome to work with, and we're excited to keep the good vibes going in the coming months!

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| What Would You Do?

Imagine you're the chief urban planner tasked with upgrading the water infrastructure of a medium-sized city that has been experiencing frequent water shortages and quality issues. The city council has emphasized the need for sustainable and long-term solutions that also consider the growing population.

In the planning meetings, you outline the primary objectives and constraints:

♦ The water system must support a 30% increase in population over the next 20 years.
♦ Solutions must prioritize sustainability, reducing water loss and energy consumption.
♦ The budget is tight, demanding cost-effective approaches that offer high returns on investment.
♦ Public support is vital; the project will need to be communicated effectively to the community to gain their backing.
♦ The solution must integrate with the city’s smart grid to enhance monitoring and management capabilities.

What’s your move? Let me know your strategy.

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|Got the sweats for seawater?🥵

Researchers at the University of Waterloo are on a bright path to making drinking water from the sun.

What? How? Buckle up, buttercup - this is where things get interesting.

Desalination?

As many coastal communities can attest, fresh water isn’t always easy to come by. With about 2.2 billion people lacking access to clean water, the quest for sustainable solutions is more urgent than ever.

Traditional desalination systems have been pretty thirsty for energy and a bit salty about maintenance due to pesky salt buildup that clogs the works.

Nature’s way: learning from the trees

Inspired by the natural way trees shuffle water from their roots to their leaves, the Waterloo team has engineered a nifty device that mimics this evaporation and condensation cycle.

It’s pretty much like giving the water cycle a techy twist, allowing continuous operation without the frequent tune-ups.

Soak up the sun

This device transforms about 93% of sunlight into energy, making it five times more efficient than existing desalination tech. Plus, it can pump out about 20 liters of fresh water per square meter each day—that’s enough to cover basic daily needs for drinking and hygiene as recommended by the World Health Organization.

What’s next?

The team is all set to scale up, aiming to test a sea-worthy prototype that could bring this technology to coastal areas that need it most. If all goes well, we could see a future where sustainable fresh water isn’t just a pipe dream.

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|Fresh from the oven

1. Engineers took inspiration from squids to create a magnetic screen—now your display can be as stealthy as a deep-sea creature!

2. ‘Marine identity’ can help restore the ocean: Fish are finally getting their own Instagram to show off their coral reefs.

3. 2023 mega-landslide from climate change shook Earth for nine days: Mother Nature threw a nine-day tantrum, giving geologists the longest 'I told you so' moment in history.

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|Your next adventure?

1. Mechanical Design Engineer - Hitachi Careers
Where 'nuts and bolts' thinking is actually a good thing!

2. GENERAL ENGINEER - Department of the Air Force
For those who want their career to really take off (pun absolutely intended)

3. Structural Engineer - Black & Veatch 
Make sure your buildings have a solid foundation, unlike your dad jokes

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